BOY BEARS THE BRUNT OF DAD'S BAD TEMPER

Stu and Al were playing on their parents' bed, killing time before dinner.

"Watch this," said Al, 5. He tried to turn a summersault, but slipped. He tumbled to the floor, crying out in shock like he'd broken a bone.

Their dad was upstairs in a flash. He knelt over Al, until he was certain the boy was OK. Then he turned on Stu. The 13-year-old braced himself. He knew what was coming next.

"You pushed him, didn't you!" his dad shouted.

His dad had a volcanic temper, and it didn't take much to set him off.

With Stu, he was particularly harsh. Since Stu was older than Al, his dad held him responsible for almost everything that went wrong between them, whether it was Stu's fault or not. Three or four times a week, his dad found a reason to spank him.

Now his dad marched towards him, unbuckling his belt.

Stu backed away, his arms raised in self-defense.

"I didn't touch him," he cried. And Al swore that his brother was telling the truth.

But their dad wasn't in the mood to listen. He pushed Stu onto the bed, and lashed him four times with his belt. Then he stormed downstairs.

The bedroom was quiet. Al went to his brother, to make sure he wasn't badly hurt. Stu lay curled on the covers, eyeing the red belt marks on his legs.

"I hope they don't turn into bruises," Stu said. That had happened once or twice. If they did, he'd have to make up a story to tell his teachers. He didn't want them knowing that his dad had given him a whipping.

Despite everything, he loved his dad. When his dad wasn't angry, he treated Stu like a best buddy. He'd do things like take Stu to an empty parking lot and let him practice driving.

That's why Stu has never tried to run away. He's come close, though.

"Even when he's nice to me, there's so much pressure," Stu said. "I worry I'll say the wrong thing, and then he'll get angry and hit me."

Stu's mom won't interfere; she's scared of his dad, too. Stu does have one idea: He's considering talking to an uncle, the person his dad most respects.

"I want him to talk to my dad," Stu said. "I want him to say, Ground him. Take away the TV. Just don't hit him anymore.'